Collapsible headgear



Oct. 16, 1956 w. SCHOEN-WOLSKI 2,766,453

COLLAPSIBLE HEADGEAR Filed March 22, 1952 WWW INVENTOR. 400% K1 United States Patent GDLLAP SIB LE Wlodzimierz Schoen-Wolski, Delphos, Ohio Application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 277,927

4' Claims (Cl. 2*195)' The present invention relates to a head covering.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a head covering-which may be formed to provide a hat or cap with visor and which may be folded and takes up very little room when folded together.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cover, for the head of the wearer, which may be formed in many different shapes from one basic piece of the material.

It is a further object to provide a covering which is light, yet strong, may be easily folded together in a very small space, and extended to the shape desired.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a head covering from one basic piece of material which may be given different forms to suit the fancy of the wearer.

The present invention mainly consists of a covering made of a preferably rectangularpiece of material which is regularly pleated and provided with means to hold the pleats together at desired points. The material may be paper, textile materials suchas linen, nylon or other artificial fiber, leather, plastic-film-,-etc.-

The various shapes-and formof the cover are formed by suitably locating the pointsat which the pleats are Bela" together, hereinafter called fastening points.

The pleats may be fastened together by permanent fastening means such as seams, staples, rivets, or the like. or the fastening points may be formed to be separable; or in such a manner that their position along the pleats may be changed, for example by placing a rubber band around the pleats, clamps, etc. By making the fastening points removable, or changeable along the line of the pleats, various shapes and forms may be formed from the material according to the desire of the wearer. It is also possible to provide permanent fastening means and removable or slidable fastening means. The removable fastening means may be formed by buttons and match ing holes or loops. If clamps are used the size of the hat can easily be adjusted by sliding the clamps along the length of the pleats. Of course, other fastening means may also be used such as snaps, hooks and eyes, etc.

The covering may be made, according to the present invention Without the use of any cement. However, to provide stiffening, or to obtain special effects, several of the pleats may be cemented together to provide stiffening. If desired, the pattern may be provided with a lining, a waterproof impregnation, a cover of colored material or water repellant plastics. If the material is used as a protection against sun, it may be perforated to provide ventilation.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific 2,766,458 Patented Oct. 16, 1956 embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a sheet of pleated material without means to fasten the pleats together;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the present invention of a foldable head gear in the folded condition; and

Fig. 3 is a top view of the device shown in Fig. 2 unfolded to form a cap with two visors.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a piece of material which is cut into rectangular shape and folded into regular pleats 1.

The invention is shown at Figs. 2 and 3. It consists of a piece of material 27 which is pleated into several pleats 28, 29, 30, etc., and held together by means of slidable fasteners 31 and 32. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention these fasteners consist of rubber bands which, placed several times around the pleats, hold them together. Rubber rings or other suitable means as from plastic, textile, cord, metal etc., may also be used. The outer pleats of the piece of material are provided with separable fastening means 33 and 34-, 35 and 36, 37 and 38, and 39 and 40. One part of the fastening means is provided at the end of the material (33, 35, 38' and 40), while the matching part is provided at a distance from the end (34, 36, 37 i and 39). These fastening means may be formed as eyelets with clips, snaps, hook and eye, etc. When clamps are used which can go around the pleats then it is sufficient if they are provided at the points 33, 35, 38 and 40, or at the points 34, 36, 37 and 39, respectively. When suitable fasteningmeans are provided at 33, 35, and 38, 40, the matching fastening means 36 and 39 and 34, 37 may be replaced each by one on each side in the middle of the outer pleats, to cooperate with the especially designed fastening means at the outer ends of the end portions. At the outer ends of the material, loops 41 and 42 may be provided which can be placed over the ends of the material and, if necessary, may be further connected with fastening means 35 and 40 (see Fig. 2).

To have a cap with two visors it is necessary to fold back two opposite end portions. The central portion may be bulged out to cover the head and. the end portions form visors, as shown in Fig. 2. As shown, the front end portion 43 and the rear end portion 44 are spread out. The corresponding fastening means of the front portion 35, 36 and 33, 34 are each fastened together, the fastening part 37 being left unused. In a similar Way, the rear end portion has its corresponding fastening means 39, 4t and 37, 38 fastened together. The size of the cap may be varied by varying the position of the rubber rings 31, 32. It is also possible to thereby vary the size of the visors.

It is very simple to manufacture a head gear according to the present invention out of rectangular or square plastic film, paper, or the like and pleating the same. The pleats may be held together simply and therefore the cover may be made very cheaply so as to be adapted for a single use and then discarded. Alternatively, when made of durable material, it may be easily folded together and be carried in a small space, such as a pocket, by the user so as to be readily available in case of a sudden rain or brilliant sunshine.

it will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of head or body covering differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in hats, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A hat composed of a pleated elongated sheet of pliable material; a first securing means located along the length of the sheet and being spaced from a first end thereof to provide a first end material portion and to hold the pleats together in folded relation; a second securing means located along the length of the material to hold the pleats together in folded relation and being spaced from said first securing means and being located inwardly from a second end of said sheet and providing a second end material portion of substantially the same length as said first end material portion and a central material portion between said first and second securing means and being longer than said end portions, both said end material portions being spread out and having their respective outer pleats folded back adjacent to outer pleats of said central portion; and cooperating fastening means with the respective fastening elements located a desired distance on opposite sides of the securing means and connected to said outer pleats of both said end and said central material portions fasten the same together.

2. A combined cap and shade device made from an elongated sheet of pliable material having parallel folds, comprising, in combination, an elongated pleated sheet of pliable material; and a pair of securing means respectively located adjacent to and spaced from opposite ends of the pleated sheet retaining the folds together and superimposed on each other so as to provide a pleated central portion between said pair of securing means and opposite pleated end portions beyond said securing means, each of said opposite pleated end portions being spread out in unfolded condition so as to be adapted to serve as a visor and said pleated central portion being bulged out into dished form.

3. A combined cap and shade device made from an elongated sheet of pliable material having parallel folds, comprising, in combination, an elongated pleated sheet of pliable material; and a pair of slidable securing means respectively located adjacent to and spaced from opposite ends of the pleated sheet retaining the folds together nd superimposed on each other so as to provide a pleated central portion between said pair of securing means and opposite pleated end portions beyond said securing means, said slidable securing means being adjustable along said sheet to vary the lengths of said pleated portions, each of said opposite pleated end portions being spread out in unfolded condition so as to be adapted to serve as a visor and said pleated central portion being bulged out into dished form.

4-. An article of apparel, comprising, in combination, an elongated pleated sheet of pliable material having parallel folds; a plurality of separable fastening means each having two cooperating parts disposed on the outer folds of the material, one part of each of said separable fastening means being disposed adjacent the corners of the sheet at the ends of the outer folds, and the other part of each of said separable fastening means being disposed on the respective outer folds of said sheet of material intermediate the ends thereof; and a pair of securing means respectively located adjacent to and spaced from opposite ends of the pleated sheet inwardly of the parts of said fastening means adjacent the corners of said sheet and between the same and the parts of said fastening means intermediate the ends of said sheet for retaining the folds together so as to provide a pleated central portion between said pair of securing means and opposite pleated end portions beyond said securing means, each of said pleated portions being spread out in unfolded condition with said one part of each of said plurality of separable fastening means being connected with said other part thereof, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,436 Anderson Jan. 2, 1900 1,182,210 Rosenbaum May 9, 1916 1,526,322 Dehne Feb. 17, 1925 1,743,432 Conklin Jan. 14, 1930 2,421,654 Severin June 3, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,673 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1910 860,976 France Oct. 15, 1940 

